Flexible protection might just be the new normal…

There’s a conversation bouncing around the security world at the moment.

I’ve had it on trains, in corridors at conferences, in WhatsApp groups, on Teams calls that probably should have been emails.

It’s this: Should we still be buying security… or should we be hiring it?

It sounds like a small distinction, but it’s quickly becoming one of the biggest practical decisions for Loss Prevention teams, risk managers, and retailers as we head toward the most intense trading period of the year.

It’s obviously not a simple one to answer, but it hinges on CapEx vs. OpEx.

Once, the security path was simple: if you wanted it, you bought it. CapEx was king.

Today, that approach feels like a luxury.

Retailers are under enormous pressure to stretch budgets across more threats – and when Christmas looms the question becomes:

“What can I do right now to protect my stores without blowing my entire budget?”

So, it would seem OpEx is having a real moment.

Hiring. Leasing. Subscription models. Temporary deployments.

These aren’t niche anymore – they’re how teams stay agile without wrestling with big, inflexible capital spends.

And if you think about it, retailers already operate this way everywhere else: Need temporary guarding? Hire it. Need overflow storage? Rent it. Need extra lighting for a car park that suddenly feels a bit too atmospheric? Bring it in short-term.

Practical problem-solving without the drama or massive outlay.

Security hardware is finally joining that club.

The old idea that hired kit is somehow ‘less good’ is fading fast. For many retailers, hiring is a spot-on move right now, because it gives you agility.

If you need something for three months – a peak season, a refurbishment, a crime spike, a high-value promotion – outright purchase doesn’t always make sense.

Hiring seems a clean operational decision: Here’s the risk. Here’s the kit. Here’s the monthly cost. Sorted.

It’s the same logic behind making Sentience available through subscription – effectively a hire model, just with intelligence built in.

The goal is simple: more retailers gaining access to proper visibility and proactive protection, not just those with the deepest pockets.

Noooo this isn’t a sales pitch. It’s just a reflection on where the market is at the moment. Winter’s approaching, footfall’s rising alongside stock values, and crime is bound to follow suit.

For many retailers, keeping stores, staff, and margins safe won’t hinge on a full system purchase. But hiring a Sentry for the winter period? Bringing in a Rapid Deploy unit for a hotspot store? Strengthening deterrence exactly where and when it’s needed?

Achievable and affordable, I’d say.

If the last few weeks of conversations have shown me anything, it’s that retailers aren’t afraid of investing in security. But they’re definitely afraid of being locked into the wrong investment, or getting a few years down the line to find it’s outdated or obsolete.

As such, hiring models, subscription, and temporary deployment feel like an evolution rather than a step backwards.

That’s my tuppence. Do with it what you will. Don’t do with it what you won’t.